Electromagnetic apparatus



Nov. 26, 3946. R. M. NARDONE ELECTROP'IIAGNETIC APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 n Wl M Z w! grama/nba@ Nov. 26, 1946. R M NARDQNE I 2,411,800

I ELECTROMAGNETIC APPARATUS Original Filed Deo. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV 26, 1.946 R. M. NARDONE ELECTROMAGNETIC APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Originalv Filed Dec. 5, 1940 Patented Nov. 26, 1946 PAT ELECTRUMAGNETIC APPARTUS Romeo M. Nardcne, Westwood, N. Il., assigner to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, End., a corporation of Delaware (Cl. F-341) 3 Claims. l

rlhis invention relates to electro-magnetic apparatus, and more particularly to electromagnetic apparatus adapted for use with starters for engines of the internal combustion type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel electro-magnetic means for producing engagement between an engine cranking member`and a member of the engine to be started.

Another object is to provide novel electromagnetic means for controlling the cranking and acceleration of the inertia member of an engine starter of the inertia type.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel electro-magnetic means serving to establish a definite relationship between operation of the accelerating and engagement producing means above referred to.

Still another object is to provide novel electrically controlled means for achieving the objects above set forth.

A further object is to provide ignition facilitating means operable in response to movement of the engagement producing means above referred to.

Still another object of the invention is to provide novel circuit controlling means for operating said ignition facilitating means.

A further object is to provide novel circuit controlling means for producing joint operation of said ignition facilitating means and said engage ment producing means.

Another object is to produce apparatus of the foregoing character which is of relatively simple construction and readily accessible in all of its component parts, yet having all of its component electrical parts fully encased in metal, ior protection of adjacent radio equipment against reception-impairing interference.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of the invention disclosed will become evident on an inspection of the 1following description when made with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention. It is to be expressly understood however that said drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not to be construed as a denition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section and partlyY in elevation, of one of the units of the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the unit of Fig. 1, as it appears from a different angle;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly sectional and partly dia= grammatic, of the system or" which the unit of Figs. l and 2 forms a part;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view oi the inner assembly of the unit or" Figs. i and 2;

Fig. 5 is an end view with end-plate removed, of the unit of Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line -ii of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional View of the unit of Figs. 1 and 2 along line l-l.

In Fig. 3 the system is shown as including an engine cranking mechanism enclosed in a housing lhaving two major sections 3 and il, which are shown in Fig. 3 as they appear when viewed from the rear-end, that is, from the end remote from the engine-engaging clutch member (not shown).

A comparable cranking mechanism is shown in Fig. 1 of my Patent No. 2,156,602, grantedMay 2, 1939, and the engine-engaging clutch member shown at lil! in said patent may be considered as incorporated in the housing section d of the cranking mechanism of the present invention, as may also the reduction gearing and torque limiting mechanism of said patent. Likewise, the iiywheel 46 (constituting the inertia element) and motor 9 of said patent may be considered as incorporated in housing section i of the cranking mechanism of the present invention, for the purpose of energizing the engine-engaging clutch member, and cranking the engine by way of said reduction gearing and clutch member when the latter is moved to engine-engaging position by endwise shifting of the clutch meshing rod which corresponds to the meshing rod ll of my earlier patent, and which in the embodiment of the present invention passes rearwardly through housing section 3io receive (at its rear-end section shown in Fig. 3 herein) a bell-crank ipconstituting an operating connection to transmit to the mesh-rod ii the actuating impulse of the novel electrical means shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, and now to be described.

The novel electrical unit of Figs. l, 2 and e is adapted to control not only the actuation of clutch meshing rod 5, but also. as heretofore indicated, the successive energization of, rst, the motor accelerating flywheel and, subsequently, the ignition facilitating unit which supplies high tension current to the engine during the actual cranking period. For these purposes the unit includes two electro-magnet coils, il and i2, the former adapted to energize a magnetic polepiece I3 rigidly secured within the coil enclos ing shell 8, and the coil i2 being adapted to @All LSQ@ energize a magnetic pole-piece it similarly secured within the opposite end of the shell 3. Slidably mounted in pole-pieces i3 and tl is a non-magnetic plunger i9 having transversely disposed pins il, lt, to unite said plunger with a central pole-piece l adapted to complete the magnetic iield of the pole-piece i3, or the magnetic field of the pole-piece lil, depending upon which of the two coils ll and l2, is energized;

vthe shell 8 and therefore adequately supportingv said shell; while the rectangular lower portion of the housing 2i provides a shallow chamber 2t extending along the entire length of the shell d and therefore providing a space to receive the cable 3l constituting the current feeding means for the coil li. With this construction the housing 2l serves the two-fold purpose of supporting the shell d and at the same time providing radio shielding encasement for the current conducting windlng and `ithe conductor leading thereto, without the necessity or the special metallic covering for the conductor itself.

In addition to actuating bell-crank and meshrod the plunger l@ of nut @i has the function of controlling energization of the ywheel accelerating motor and the ignition facilitating unit, as heretofore indicated. To this end the rod 3G, which links plunger actuated bell-crank 3Q with mesh-rod actuating bell-crank (Fig. 3) is provided with an insulating section 3l' carrying a metallic collar d@ adapted to-bridge one or the other of two sets of terminal contacts when moved from the normal (central) position by energization of coil il or coil i2 of the unit 2l. The upper set di, di' o terminal contacts constitute part of the motor circuit, while the lower set d3, dd constitute part ofthe circuit tov primary and secondary windings il@ and il of the high tension current producing' unit which connects with the engine-driven ignition current distributor (not shown) by way of a metalcovered insulated conductor ld leading from the secondary or high tension side di of the induction coil. This induction coil unit may be of a conventional type having contacts 5i, an armature 53 in the magnetic held of the coil, and an associated condenser 52 in circuit with the primary winding, wherefore each vibration of armature 53 interrupts current flow and causes a passage, by induction, of a high tension current through secondary winding il and a resultant spark in the engine cylinder whose spark-plug 62, t3 and 6@ is provided; the conductors 6l and l 62 being confined within the starter housing itself, and the conductors 63 and @t being conilned Such \novel energizing means within the exible metallic tubing section t6 which extends from the metallic battery outlet fixture G5 to the metallic junction box lil which screws into metallic switch housing Q5, the. latter Elements t?, @t and t9 complete the radio-shielding of the electrical control circuits; the element tl being a nexible tubing section extending from junction box l@ to conductor inlet boss l2 of the electro-magnetic unit, 2l, and the element 68 beinga similar exible tubing section extending from battery xture 65 to the housing t9 for the manually controlled switch terminals 8l, 32, 33 and tl. The switch terminals 3l and 83 receive the battery conductors Sl and S2, respectively, while the switch terminals 82 and Sli receive the conductors d@ and 3i, respectively; the conductor 3l being the one heretofore described as leading to coil ll, and the conductor 30 being the one leading to coil l2. A hand-operated plunger ibi projects from the panel-board E02 upon which housing 69 is mounted, and said plunger has an end section w3 of insulating material to receive a metallic collar ll adapted to bridge contacts 3l and S when moved to the left of neutral position; and when moved to the right of neutral position, said collar bridges the contacts 83., dll. A fire-wall it separates the engine starter from the operators compartment, and is apertured to receive a rubber supporter itl and the tubing section @t bearing thereon.

With the foregoing in mind, it will be apparent that upon movement of plunger itl to the left, current will ow from battery i0@ to coil i2 of the unit 2l, the circuit being by way of conductor 9i, contacts di, ltd and 32, conductor 3Q' toterminal lll of coil i2, and back from coil i2 to the battery by way of the grounded termina1 H2. (Figs. l and e); the opposite side of the battery being similarly grounded as indicated.

The now of current through the coil l2 which is thus produced establishes a magnetic field to attract the movable pole-piece l5 into engagement with the stationary pole-piece ld and thereby produce a shifting of the plunger i9 to the right as viewed in Fig. 2, whereupon the rod 36 of Fig. 3 is moved upwardly to an extent sucient to cause collar 38 to bridge the contacts il and d2. A circuit is thereby established from the battery lilto the iiywheel-accelerating motor, thev circuit being traceable by way of conductor 63, contacts di, 33 and 62, and the conductor Si leading by an interior path from the terminal 52 to the commutator brushes or equivalent current 55 feeding means of the flywheel-accelerating motor.

The resulting rotation of the motor and the iiywheel stores energy in the latter, which energy will thereafter be transferred to the engine to impart initial rotary movement thereto, whendo ever the operator elects to cause a shifting of the engine engaging member of the starter to the engine engaging position. The operator will indicate this election by shifting the plunger I0! to its extreme right position, in which position the coil ll of the unit 2| will be energized, the path of current ow to said coil H being by way of conductor 92, contacts '33, l0@ and 8d, and conductor 3| leading to the terminal H3 of the coil ll; the return circuitfrom coil Il beingA by way l0 of the grounded terminal llt of` the said coil.

The magnetic eld resulting from this energization of the coil li-the field formerly prevailing having now collapsed by reason of the interruption of the circuit to the coilY i2-results in a shifting of the plunger I9 to its extreme left-hand being mounted on starter housing section 3.-

a position as viewed in Fig. 2, whereupon rod 3i; moves downwardly to cause collar s@ to engage contacts 43 and dit, and also to cause bell-crank 1, to shift the mesh-rod tinto the position in which it moves and holds the engine engaging-v member in the engine engaging position. The energy previously stored in the 'starter willnow be transferred to the engine and simultaneously with such transfer a series of fuel igniting sparks will occur in the combustion chambers or the engine by reason of the high tension current producing action of the ignition facilitating unit which is now energized by. reason oi the iiow of current from battery in@ to the induction coil il', the said current flow being by way oi conductor 64, contacts t3, and and conductor leading by an interior path from contact fill to the terminal lili of the coil winding the opposite terminal lill of the unit being grounded as indicated. When these concurring 'cranking and spark producing operations result in a starting of the engine under its own power, the engine engaging member moves bach to the disengaged position by reason of the conventional construction well understood in the art, and 'the operator lbrings the energization or" the ignition facilitating unit 55 to a conclusion by returning the plunger lo! to the neutral position indicated in Fig. 3, in which position ow of current to the coil ll ceases and both the rod and plunger i9 return to the central neutral positions indicated in Figs. 3 and 2, respectively.

This application is a division of my applicationV Serial No. 368,412, led December 3, i940, now Patent No. 2,301,071, granted November 3, i942.

What is claimed ist l. In electro-magnetic apparatus, a pair or axially spaced coils, an inner cylindrical shell enclosing said coils and provided with end walls, end pole-pieces xed to said end walls respectively, a non-magnetic plunger slidably mounted in said end polepieces, a central pole-piece carried by said plunger and movable therewith between the confronting ends of said coils, an outer cylindrical shell fitting closely about the greater portion of said inner shell and extending axially beyond'said inner shell to form a terminal charnber adjacent one end of said inner shell, said outer shell being formed with means extending longitudinally thereof and in spaced relation with the lesser portion of said inner shell for enca'sing the winding connections for both coils between said shells and directing said connections into said chamber, whereby to insure protection of exn .ternally disposed adjacent radio equipment cylindrical shell tting closely about the greater portion ci Isaid inner cylindrical shell and extending axially beyond said inner shell to form a ter-` minal chamber adjacent one end said inner shell, means for directing all external wiring said coils into said chamber, said outer shell being formed with a lengthwise extending and outwardly disposed section spaced from the lesser lportieri or" said inner shell and coasting 'with said lesser portion to form a passageway for encasing the winding connections for both coils between said shells and directing said connections into said chamber whereby to insure protection of enternally disposed adjacent radio equipment against reception-impairing interference.

ln electro-magnetic apparatus, axially spaced coils; a casing assembly having inner and outer cylindrical shells arranged in substantially concentric engagement, said inner shell enclosing said coils and provided with end walls; end polepieces xed to said end walls respectively; a nonmagnetic plunger slldably mounted in said end polenpieces; a central pole-piece carried by said plunger andmovable therewith between the confronting ends of said Coils, said outer cylindrical shell extending axially beyond said inner shell; a partition on the inside of said outer shell adjacent one end thereof to provide a terminal chamber and engageable with the adjacent end wall of said inner shell, said outer shell being provided with means for directing all external wiring for said unit into said chamber, said outer shell also being formed with means extending longitudinally thereof and in spaced relation with the lesser portion 0f said inner shell for encasing conductors for said unit between said Ishells and directing said conductors into said chamber, whereby to insure protection of externally disposed adjacent radio equipment agalnst reception-impairing interference.

ROMEO M. NARDONE. 

